Notes from the 49ers’ locker room following a tough loss

Not surprisingly, several players escaped the locker room quickly. This loss seemed to sting this team. Not only did they muster a measley 151 yards of total offense, not only did Colin Kaepernick throw for a palry 91 yards when his team needed so much more, four 49ers were injured.
After the 10-9 loss to Carolina at Candlestick Park, coach Jim Harbaugh did not have an update on tight end Vernon Davis (concussion), rookie free safety Eric Reid (concussion), tight end Garrett Celek (hamstring) or defensive end Ray McDonald (ankle).
“Just saw them in the locker room and they seemed as good as could be expected,” Harbaugh said. McDonald hobbled to the players’ parking lot with a slight limp.
The tight-end absence, curtailed the 49ers personnel packages and their decision-making. Instead of going for it on 4th-and-1 from the 2-yard line in the second quarter, Harbaugh opted for a Phil Dawson field goal.
“We needed some time to get more some personnel around to accommodate that situation … that factored in,” Harbaugh said.

-Linebacker NaVorro Bowman had a bolt of honesty after the game. Hopefully, his comments won’t be taken the wrong way. Bowman is a team player, but after a sterling defensive effort, Bowman wanted a little help from the offense. Who wouldn’t?

“We as a defense can’t control anything that’s going on on the other side of the ball,” Bowman said. “That’s the stressful part about having a good game, knowing you are playing well. You can’t control the other side. We as a defense, we are going to go back and always get better. But that’s a tough loss for us.”

It was a sentiment shared by wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

“Defensively, we played a great game,” Boldin said. “(The defense) gave us a chance to win, held the opponent to 10 points. Offensively we didn’t get it done.”

-LaMichael James made his first appearance of the season and returned punts for the first time in his NFL career. James had one rush for a negative yard, and had three punt returns for a 11.7 yard average. James exhibited his characteristic quickness on a 35-yard return.

Asked if he had showed enough to get more playing time, James said, “To me, I felt I showed enough last year. I feel like I played well. … I feel like I did enough. Whatever the coaches ask me to do, I have to go out there and do it.”

-The 49ers 151 yards of total offense was the fewest since Nov. 5, 2006 against the Vikings. Shockingly, the 49ers won that game 9-3.